Open Source Summit North America Fosters Exchange of Ideas

All the way back in 1991, when some of you were working at your first IT jobs, others were still in high school, and still others hadn't even been born yet, a student named Linus Torvalds attending the University of Helsinki in Finland took an interest in computer operating systems and began writing his own OS kernel.

Today, we have penguins, the backbone of the modern internet, and so many different distributions of the original Linux that we could read them off one by one and plausibly pretend to be listing famous pirates (Yellow Dog, Red Flag, Jarro Negro), Greek mythological monsters (Xandros, Sidux, Tanglu), ancient Roman senators (Canaima, Matriux, Maemo), obscure Marvel Comics characters (Liquid Lemur, Estrella Roja, Evil Entity), or even visitors form a neighboring galaxy (KaarPux, NuTyX, Kororaa, Papug).

Linux is far from being the be-all or end-all of open source software development, but Torvalds' quirky creation was (and still is) an early explorer and trailblazer in a realm that, in many ways, could represent the future of technological change and growth. So it's fitting that the perhaps premier event of The Linux Foundation takes its name, Open Source Summit North America, from the environment where Linux exploded and not from celebrated kernel itself.

If you're a big believer in the marketplace of ideas and there's room for personal/professional development landmarks in your summer schedule, then you'd do well to consider attending Open Source Summit North America in Vancouver, British Columiba, Aug. 29-31.

More than 2,000 "developers, architects and other technologists" are expected to converge on The Big Smoke (aka The Terminal City, aka City of Glass, aka etc.) for three days of discussion, collaboration, and exchange of information about the latest trends and technologies beneath the expanding open source umbrella.

A roster of featured speakers representing a broad gamut of technology firms will address the event, which also features the usual array of workshops, sessions, showcases, soirees, and even a special pre-conference Kid's Day event on Aug. 28. (You can bring the whole family!) There's a Diversity Mixer, a special breakfast reception for first-time attendees, and an official nonprofit beneficiary (the teaching-coding-to-kids group #YesWeCode).

As tech event sponsors often do, The Linux Foundation has even taken the trouble to ask your boss for you whether a) you can go, and b) on the company's dime. There's a special discounted registration rate available until June 17 at midnight, as well as discounted rates for hobbyists, students, and admiring onlookers (the so-called "Hall Pass" rate).

Registration rates and options for all prospective attendees are available online.